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Abstract

gcaption>Wikipedia Commons</figcaption></figure><p id="8387">Prior to Buffy<i>,</i> female characters were there to serve their male lead. They did not make decisions — their male lead made decisions for them.</p><p id="dd45">They did not drive the story — the story drove them.</p><p id="f658">In many cases their only job was to be eye candy.</p><p id="da4e">I’m not an advocate of kick-ass violence in entertainment. In fact I avoid that.</p><p id="bddf">No kung fu or shoot ’em up movies for me.</p><p id="85f8">But Buffy’s fighting and slaying was always done with a wink. And it served the purpose of the story</p><p id="c080" type="7">Prior to Buffy (and still) “strong” female characters were lauded for their “feminine wiles” in achieving her goals.</p><p id="b4fa" type="7">This trope declared that female characters triumphed via deception.</p><p id="d6e7" type="7"

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This is a misogynistic cliché.</p><p id="5149"><i>Buffy </i>has taken at least a little bite out of that cliché.</p><p id="f537">And so I say to you today: <b>All Hail Buffy!</b></p><p id="5651"><b><i>and here’s a related story/article . . .</i></b></p><div id="33b0" class="link-block"> <a href="https://readmedium.com/my-pixie-dream-girl-a3a241972e8f"> <div> <div> <h2>My Pixie Dream Girl</h2> <div><h3>Deconstructing a pervasive male fantasy and the enduring Hollywood trope it spawned.</h3></div> <div><p>medium.co</p></div> </div> <div> <div style="background-image: url(https://miro.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/1*o00UnTisO1_fNcxY7D5HCg.jpeg)"></div> </div> </div> </a> </div></article></body>

The Rise Of The Kick-Ass Girl

Finally

QUESTION: What do all these kick-ass female characters have in common? Trinity in The Matrix. Alice in Resident Evil, Sara in Arrow, Beatrix Kiddo in Kill Bill, Sarah in Terminator 2, Dolores in Westworld . . . and that list goes on. As well as all the TV series with a tough female lead.

THE ANSWER: They all came after Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

Buffy done broke the mold.

Prior to Buffy, female characters were there to serve their male lead. They did not make decisions — their male lead made decisions for them.

They did not drive the story — the story drove them.

In many cases their only job was to be eye candy.

I’m not an advocate of kick-ass violence in entertainment. In fact I avoid that.

No kung fu or shoot ’em up movies for me.

But Buffy’s fighting and slaying was always done with a wink. And it served the purpose of the story

Prior to Buffy (and still) “strong” female characters were lauded for their “feminine wiles” in achieving her goals.

This trope declared that female characters triumphed via deception.

This is a misogynistic cliché.

Buffy has taken at least a little bite out of that cliché.

And so I say to you today: All Hail Buffy!

and here’s a related story/article . . .

My Pixie Dream Girl

Deconstructing a pervasive male fantasy and the enduring Hollywood trope it spawned.

medium.co